Collapsible advertising device



July 3, 1951 w, WOLF I 2,559,489

COLLAPSIBLE ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed July 1, 1949 INVENTOR. F/iEDfK/CK14 W00 Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to collapsible advertising posters, placards andsimilar display devices which are equipped with an easel and likestructure to support the display device in a substantially uprightposition, when in use.

It is one of the main objects of the invention to provide means forprominently and attractively exhibiting one or more articles, preferablyof a group of goods, illustrated on a display board as soon as thelatter is set up for display by means of the easel.

It is another object of the invention to provide means facilitatinginexpensive manufacture of sturdy advertising or display devices of theaforesaid character which necessitate only two layers or panels ofcardboard connected together after the same have been subjected tosimple die cutting operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide means rendering possiblepackaging and ship' ping of display devices of the aforesaid type in asubstantially fiat condition.

It is still another object of the invention to provide means affordingonly a single manipulation of a person to firmly erect the poster orsimilar advertising device and to noticeably display one or morearticles shown on the front face of the device.

Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of meansfor actuating a part,

such as the locking plate, of the easel to locking :position while anextension of said part is simulare preferably illustrated in perspectiveon the front face of the device, to thereby afford the article orarticles a display more accurate to life.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will behereinafter more fully described and the combination and arrangement ofparts Will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in theclaims which form part of the specification.

- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of a display device in erected condition, made inaccordance with this invention, the display device being shown'somewhatin perspective;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1 as seen from the rearthereof and in collapsed condition;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the easel and its locking plate incollapsed condition but somewhat modified with respect to the showing ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the easel in erected condition andthe locking plate in operative condition, seen somewhat in perspective;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, somewhat in perspective, of extensionmeans connected to the locking plate for the easel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be readily seenfrom Fig. 3 that the display device l0 made in accordance with thisinvention, consists only of two layers, namely, a front layer or board Hand a rear layer or easel [2. ,As can be further seen from Figs. 1 and2, the front layer or board I I may carry on its surface any desiredadvertising matter (not shown) which may include, for example, the imageof a bottle I3 which is intended to be more prominently displayedrelatively to the remainder of the advertising matter on the displayposter or device l0. To this end, the contour of the bottle is struck orcut out from the material of the board ll along its outline l4 but for asmall portion I'5 thereof. The small portion 15 serves as an axis orhinge means about which the major struck-out bottle -portion l3a may beswung and projected beyond the outer plane in which the surface of boardll extends. It is preferred to have the hinge means 15 so constructedthat it is solid (without fold) and integral with the adjacentportionIla of board H and thus, due to the resiliency inherent in the boardmaterial, causes automatically retraction of the cut out bottle portion[3a into the plane of the board II when pressure against the cut outportion l3a is removed, as will be later explained.

It is to be noted that axis l5 in connection with the adjacent portionIla of the board ll brings about an automatic retraction of bottleportion I311. but the amount of retraction depends to a certain degreeon the location of the hinge means relatively to the edge Nb of theboard.

The easel l2 of the display device I0 comprises a fixed portion 16 whichis glued or otherwise affixed to the rear face ll of board II at l8.Easel [2 includes a fold l9 about which wing 20 of the easel l2 can beswung to bring about erected condition of poster or advertising board 1l in a manner well known in the art. In order to secure wing 20 insupporting position for board H, a locking plate 2| is employed which iscut out of the material of easel l2 along outline or cut edge 22,shownin heavy lines. A further fold 23' extends between one end 24 ofthe out line 22 and another end 25 of said out line, whereby whenlooking plate 2| is swung about fold 23, engage ment of surface 2 lawith stop 26' takes place and notch 21 of locking plate 2|simultaneously engages cut edge portion 22a, as may be visualized fromFig. 1. 7

According to the invention, this locking plate 2| is provided with anextension 30 integral there with which may be of any suitable length. Ascan be seen from Fig. l, as soon as looking plate 2 l' is'swung aboutfold 23 which is in contact with the rear face ll of board ll,-extension 30 will project past outline I4 and abut against cut outportion l3a of bottle [3 and will project the same automatically beyondthe front face of board ll, as may be easily visualized.

It will be further realized that when locking plate 2| is swung inupward direction about fold 23, extension 30 will become disengaged fromportion Ida and resumes its position within the cut out space 30a whileportion l3a automatical- 1y retracts about hinge means 15 to becomesubstantially flush again with the outer surface of board H.

If desired, the space 3| produced when bottle portion l3a is projectedby means of extension 30, may be illuminated by any suitable lightsource positioned rearwardly of board H (not shown) in order to augmenteye appeal and attracting power of the advertising device 10.

The invention further contemplates the regulation of the extent ofprojection ofthat part of the advertising device which is to beaccentuated and prominently displayed. To this effect, extension 30 maybe provided with a clamp-like abutting or extension member which ispreferably made from metal and has one or more prongs 3d struck out ofthe metallic body of extension member 35 for engagement with extension30 of locking plate 2!. It will thus becomeapparent that extension 30may be elongated to an extent indicated by numeral 33 when extensionmember 35 is brought in engagement with extension 30 and fixed thereonby' means of prongs 34. If it has become necessary to use such clampextension 35, it is further proposed, according to the invention, toprovide an opening 36 within the easel wing 20' in which extensionmember 35 may be accommodated in collapsed condition of easel l2.

It is well understood that other regulatable extension means can beprovided in connection with extension or finger 3D to thereby regulatethe extent of projection of portion l3a beyond the plane in which thefront surface of board H is situated. 7

It is further contemplated according to the invention, to use instead ofone extension 36 a plurality of extensions which are preferablyarigularly directed with respect to eachother but are integral with thelocking means or plate. Thus, several adjacent cut-'out portions of thecarrier (similar to portion l3a) may be projected by said extensionmembers, respeetivel yltd vari- 4 ous degrees beyond the front surfaceof the display board or panel II.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with theinvention a display device which comprises a board carrying on its frontface advertising matter and forming a front layer, an easel forsupporting said board in erected condition and forming a rear layer,both said front layer and said rear layer being arranged in superposed'c'ondition to each other in collapsed condition of said displayboard. The easel as well as the board or carrier for advertising matterhave each a hinged and stamped or cut out portion-which'is integral withthe easel and board, respectively. The hinged portion of the easel formsa-l'ockingmember having an extension and thecut-out portion of the boardforms a portion of the advertising matter which is to be prominent l ydisplayed. The extension of the locking member forms projecting meansarranged to extend intermediate said locking member and: the cut-outportion of the board and is so adapted to displace said cut-out portionbeyond the front;

face of said board when the latter is held in erected condition by saideasel with the locking mem ber thereof in operative and locking positionof said easel.

The cut-out portion of theboard follows along a predetermined outlineand the hinge means about which said portion is displaceable relativelyto the board or carrier is positioned remote from the extension means ofthe locking plate which is directed to an edge of said portion oppositesaid hinge means.

Thus, an efficient display device is achieved which can be easilymanipulated from collapsedcondition to erected condition and which canbe easily packed and stored when not in use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and asmany changes may be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to beunderstood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A display devicecomprising a board adapted to carry on its front faceadvertising matter and forming a first layer, an easel forming a secondlayer, said second layer and said first layer being connected to eachother and facing each other in collapsed condition of said layers, saideasel in eluding hinged locking means cut out of the material of saidsecond layer, said locking means in one position thereof maintainingsaid easel in place to support said board in erected condition, saidfirst layer being provided with a cut-out portion integral with saidfirst layer and including an axis, said cut-out portion forming at leastpart of said advertising matter to be prominently displayed, and meansextending from said locking means therebeyond and abutting against saidcut-out portion to project the same about said axis and beyond the frontface of said first layer in erected condition of the latter and withsaid locking means in said one position said cut-out portion beingresiliently and automatically retracted substantially into the plane ofsaid first layer upon disengagement of said extending means from saidcut-out portion.

2. A display device comprising a board carrying on its front faceadvertising matter and forming a front layer, an easel for supportingsaid board in erected condition and forming a rear layer, said rearlayer and said front layer being connected to each other at the rearface of the front layer and lying face to face in collapsed condition ofsaid board and said easel, said easel including a locking member cut outof the material of said rear layer and hinged thereto, said lookingmember being adapted in one position thereof to maintain said easel inplace for supporting said board in erected condition, said front layerbeing provided with a cut-out portion integral with said front layer anddisplaceable thereto about an axis, said cut-out portion forming atleast part of said advertising matter, and projecting means operativelyconnected to said locking member and arranged to extend intermediatesaid locking member and said cut-out portion and adapted to displace thelatter about said axis to thereby partly project said portion beyond thefront face of said board when the latter is held in erected condition bysaid easel with the locking member thereof in said one position.

3. A display device comprising a carrier for advertising matter normallydisposed in a single plane, a support for said carrier extending in asingle plane and connected to said carrier, said carrier and saidsupport being arranged in superposed position to each other when incollapsed condition, said support including locking means integral withand hinged to said support, said locking means being swingable tooperative position to thereby maintain said support and said carrier inerected condition, said carrier being provided with a portion adaptedfor outward swinging movement relative to and about an axis lying in theremainder of said carrier, and means actuated by said locking means toautomatically move said carrier portion at least partly out of the planeof said carrier therebeyond when the latter is in said erected conditionand said locking means in said operative position.

FREDERICK W. WOLF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,075,069 Stranders Oct. 7, 19131,667,694 Vergeer Apr. 24, 1928 2,164,152 Fortunato June 27, 1939

